The global pandemic has put a halt on many business activities. After a series of lockdowns and unlocks, businesses have resumed operations. However, business houses, organizations, and retail stores still have to obey the government rules of lockdowns taking place partially from time to time. Aggressive marketing is a thing of the past now! Currently, every business’s primary objective is to carry on its daily operations without facing any hindrance. For this, it is essential to manage your online reputation and public relations (PR) activities.
Useful online PR and reputation management tactics
Whether yours is a small or established business, there will be an online buzz about you. People will talk about you, either appreciating you or complaining about you. It would be best if you tuned in to both the negative and positive talk. Many business houses wait for a crisis to hit before they manage their online PR and reputation. EJ Dalius, a smart marketing professional, urges business houses and organizations to pay heed to online PR and reputation management activities as we are in this pandemic phase, by using the following steps.
- Know about your online status
Do you know how you are being received and interpreted online by the audience? If not, you need to search yourself and check the feedback and reviews people have written about you. If there are positive reviews, take initiatives to maintain that. And if there are a few negative feedbacks, get in touch with the concerned customer online and resolve the issue. Take the criticism as a chance to correct your business. There might be issues you are overlooking or overlooked.
2. Promote yourself on social media
Social media promotions are a smart way to showcase your brand, its products, and services currently. People are logging into social media for interesting content to spend their time at home. Curate interesting posts about your brand and how you can help your customers. Eric Daliussuggest that you make the post real, authentic, original, and ensure that you back up what you say with excellent service. For instance, if you claim timely delivery, make sure your courier and delivery partners are on board with the task.
3. Get featured in industry stories
Journalists plan for industry stories on specific topics. You can get in touch with the concerned journalist in a leading daily or business daily who covers your industry niche. Share the relevant news about your company, plans, and current business condition by preparing a concise and updated e-media docket. Getting featured in industry stories in newspapers, online magazines, and blogs will give your brand the required mileage and visibility. Share necessary press releases with journalists so that they stay updated about you.
4. Increase positive stories to counter negative news
It’s always not possible to take down negative news written about you! If there’s one, the only way to combat it is by increasing the number of positive news articles and snippets. So, plan creative and useful online activities and share the news with online magazines and tabloids. That will bring to focus your positive stories and boost your brand recall value.
Online reputation management and PR is key to how your clients and customers will perceive you. Leverage it during this pandemic phase to gain increased customer good-will.
